The Effect of Gender on a Predictive Model of Violent Behaviors in Rural Youth Using a Contextual Framework

The Effect of Gender on a Predictive Model of Violent Behaviors in Rural Youth Using a Contextual Framework

Abstract:

The Effect of Gender on a Predictive Model of Violent Behaviors in Rural Youth Using a Contextual Framework

Conference Sponsor:

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Year:

2002

Conference Date:

July, 2002

Author:

Patterson, Kathleen

P.I. Institution Name:

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

Title:

Assistant Professor

Email:

kap5@pitt.edu

Objectives: Adolescent violence is a serious health concern. It is manifest by aggressive and delinquent behavior in many of the contexts in which the adolescent is embedded: the family, peer group, school and community. Many research studies have focused on the risk behaviors of substance use, firearm availability and victimization in urban settings. Rural youth are also at risk, yet empirical efforts have been sparse with this population. The specific aims of this study with rural youth were: 1) to propose and test a predictive model of violent behavior that involves the individual characteristics of the adolescent, the risk/opportunity potential of life events and social context and 2) to examine whether there were gender differences in this predictive model. The theoretical framework of Developmental Contextualism (Lerner, 1995) was utilized. Design: This was a secondary exploratory analysis of a larger federally funded parent study on rural adolescents (NIH Grant #R01 NR03616). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the secondary design. Sample: The sample was a cross sectional sample of 624 non-referred rural adolescents (mean age 15.85, SD=.99; females=376, males=248) in the 9th (n=250), 10th (n=186), 11th (n=178) and 12th (n=10) grades from four schools in Western Pennsylvania. The Each rural community contained no more than 7100 people and the economy was predominantly based on farming and small industry. Average annual income of the community was $25,000. Outcome Variables: The independent latent variable was identified as Individual Characteristics (INDCHAR) which included observed variables of trait anger, anxiety/depression, cognitive avoidance and developmental age on the dependent latent variable of Violent Behaviors (VIOLBEH) of aggression and delinquency. The mediation effect of the latent variable Risk/Opportunity (RISK/OPP) (positive and negative life events change and drug use) and Social Context (SOCCON) (family and peer social support and school competence) on the relationship of individual characteristics on violent behaviors was explored. Gender results between models were generated. Methods: In the parent study, data was collected in the school settings by the primary investigator and Psychiatric Clinical Specialists after parental and student permission was obtained. This secondary data included results from the Youth Self-Report of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991), the trait scale of State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Spielberger et al., 1983), the Coping Response Inventory-Youth Form (CRI-Youth) (Moos, 1993), the Life Events Checklist (Johnson & McCutchen, 1980), the Drug Use Screening Inventory (Tarter et al., 1992), the Perceived Social Support Scales Family and Friends (Procidano & Heller, 1990), and an investigator generated demographic questionnaire. LISREL for Windows (version 8.12) and PRELIS (version 2.12) were used for these analyses (Jöreskog & Sörbom, 1999). Findings: The results indicated that rural adolescents scored significantly higher than the published norms of the non-referred sample in the areas of aggression and delinquency on the Youth Self-Report of the Child Behavior Checklist (YSR-CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991). They scored lower than the published normative sample in trait anger (Spielberger, 1996). Rural females scored higher than their male counterparts in anxiety/depression (YSR-CBCL), cognitive avoidance coping (Moos, 1993), perceived family and peer support (Procidano & Hellers, 1983) and, school competence (YSR-CBCL). Life events perception (Johnson, 1993) and social context were significant mediators of violent behaviors for females, but were not statistically significant for males. Conclusion: Health care professionals in the school and community should continue to assess rural adolescents for violent behaviors and provide prevention programs that focus on the relational as well as overt aspect of aggression. Implications: Future research should include the role of context in the prediction of violent behaviors. Gender issues should be examined, especially as they relate to aggression. Psychiatric efforts must support community initiatives to decrease bullying in the schools.

Full metadata record

The Effect of Gender on a Predictive Model of Violent Behaviors in Rural Youth Using a Contextual Framework

en_GB

dc.identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10755/153684

-

dc.description.abstract

<table><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-title">The Effect of Gender on a Predictive Model of Violent Behaviors in Rural Youth Using a Contextual Framework</td></tr><tr class="item-sponsor"><td class="label">Conference Sponsor:</td><td class="value">Sigma Theta Tau International</td></tr><tr class="item-year"><td class="label">Conference Year:</td><td class="value">2002</td></tr><tr class="item-conference-date"><td class="label">Conference Date:</td><td class="value">July, 2002</td></tr><tr class="item-author"><td class="label">Author:</td><td class="value">Patterson, Kathleen</td></tr><tr class="item-institute"><td class="label">P.I. Institution Name:</td><td class="value">University of Pittsburgh at Bradford</td></tr><tr class="item-author-title"><td class="label">Title:</td><td class="value">Assistant Professor</td></tr><tr class="item-email"><td class="label">Email:</td><td class="value">kap5@pitt.edu</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-abstract">Objectives: Adolescent violence is a serious health concern. It is manifest by aggressive and delinquent behavior in many of the contexts in which the adolescent is embedded: the family, peer group, school and community. Many research studies have focused on the risk behaviors of substance use, firearm availability and victimization in urban settings. Rural youth are also at risk, yet empirical efforts have been sparse with this population. The specific aims of this study with rural youth were: 1) to propose and test a predictive model of violent behavior that involves the individual characteristics of the adolescent, the risk/opportunity potential of life events and social context and 2) to examine whether there were gender differences in this predictive model. The theoretical framework of Developmental Contextualism (Lerner, 1995) was utilized. Design: This was a secondary exploratory analysis of a larger federally funded parent study on rural adolescents (NIH Grant #R01 NR03616). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the secondary design. Sample: The sample was a cross sectional sample of 624 non-referred rural adolescents (mean age 15.85, SD=.99; females=376, males=248) in the 9th (n=250), 10th (n=186), 11th (n=178) and 12th (n=10) grades from four schools in Western Pennsylvania. The Each rural community contained no more than 7100 people and the economy was predominantly based on farming and small industry. Average annual income of the community was $25,000. Outcome Variables: The independent latent variable was identified as Individual Characteristics (INDCHAR) which included observed variables of trait anger, anxiety/depression, cognitive avoidance and developmental age on the dependent latent variable of Violent Behaviors (VIOLBEH) of aggression and delinquency. The mediation effect of the latent variable Risk/Opportunity (RISK/OPP) (positive and negative life events change and drug use) and Social Context (SOCCON) (family and peer social support and school competence) on the relationship of individual characteristics on violent behaviors was explored. Gender results between models were generated. Methods: In the parent study, data was collected in the school settings by the primary investigator and Psychiatric Clinical Specialists after parental and student permission was obtained. This secondary data included results from the Youth Self-Report of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991), the trait scale of State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Spielberger et al., 1983), the Coping Response Inventory-Youth Form (CRI-Youth) (Moos, 1993), the Life Events Checklist (Johnson &amp; McCutchen, 1980), the Drug Use Screening Inventory (Tarter et al., 1992), the Perceived Social Support Scales Family and Friends (Procidano &amp; Heller, 1990), and an investigator generated demographic questionnaire. LISREL for Windows (version 8.12) and PRELIS (version 2.12) were used for these analyses (J&ouml;reskog &amp; S&ouml;rbom, 1999). Findings: The results indicated that rural adolescents scored significantly higher than the published norms of the non-referred sample in the areas of aggression and delinquency on the Youth Self-Report of the Child Behavior Checklist (YSR-CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991). They scored lower than the published normative sample in trait anger (Spielberger, 1996). Rural females scored higher than their male counterparts in anxiety/depression (YSR-CBCL), cognitive avoidance coping (Moos, 1993), perceived family and peer support (Procidano &amp; Hellers, 1983) and, school competence (YSR-CBCL). Life events perception (Johnson, 1993) and social context were significant mediators of violent behaviors for females, but were not statistically significant for males. Conclusion: Health care professionals in the school and community should continue to assess rural adolescents for violent behaviors and provide prevention programs that focus on the relational as well as overt aspect of aggression. Implications: Future research should include the role of context in the prediction of violent behaviors. Gender issues should be examined, especially as they relate to aggression. Psychiatric efforts must support community initiatives to decrease bullying in the schools.<br/><br/></td></tr></table>

en_GB

dc.date.available

2011-10-26T12:26:32Z

-

dc.date.issued

2002-07

en_GB

dc.date.accessioned

2011-10-26T12:26:32Z

-

dc.description.sponsorship

Sigma Theta Tau International

en_GB

All Items in this repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.